Determined to further foster such in-person kinship, Amarasuriya wanted the new flagship, which will open in May, to look like a friend’s luxurious apartment rather than a pretentious boutique. “When I started going to Sri Lanka to find gemstones, I had a prepared list with all the stones I was looking for,” she said. But the merchants there were more interested in serving him tea, asking about his family, and building their relationship, without any rush to get to the actual trades.
“Coming from the high-pressure, high-speed pace of Singapore, I didn’t get it. It was like a relaxing session and I fell very much in love with that aspect of my culture,” the Sinhalese said.
So, in addition to choosing a location for the flagship that was surrounded by lots of greenery and incorporated a private courtyard in which customers could view their jewelry in a bath of natural light, Amarasuriya insisted on adding a tea bar to the building. take-out space. a far cry from the intensity that accompanies walking into a jewelry store. I don’t even want to talk about jewelry for the first 10 minutes because I just want people to feel comfortable.
One of her greatest triumphs was being able to win over an intimidating client who was looking for an engagement ring for her partner. “He was a creative colleague and someone who held a high position in his company, so he was very intense. He took notes on everything I said and I often left every meeting feeling exhausted.
But she didn’t waver in her mission to connect, and he slowly realized that all Amarasuriya wanted was to find out what his fiancee would like, not force a sale. At the end, the jeweler even took a chance and added some details alluding to one of the stories he told about his fiancée.
“It was almost like seeing it come to life, which was lovely. We tend to wear this heavy armor around new people and in new places to protect ourselves, so there’s nothing happier than finding someone who genuinely wants to create something with you and have fun.I never thought at first that our time together would end with a bottle of champagne that he brought us.
